Department for Transport

High Speed Rail (West Midlands-Crewe) Act 2021

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish the report of the consultation required under section 60 of the High Speed Rail (West Midlands–Crewe) Act 2021.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The report of the consultation required under section 60 of the High Speed Rail (West Midlands-Crewe) Act 2021 will be published before the 1 May 2021. The consultation ran from 1 February 2021 to 26 February 2021. The analysis of consultation responses is currently taking place.

High Speed Rail (West Midlands-Crewe) Act 2021

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many submissions were made to the consultation required under section 60 of the High Speed Rail (West Midlands–Crewe) Act 2021; and, of these submissions, how many mentioned (1) Woore, and (2) Aldersey's Rough.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: There have been 499 responses to the consultation required under section 60 of the High Speed Rail (West Midlands-Crewe) Act 2021. The coding and analysis of consultation responses is ongoing by an independent organisation, Ipsos MORI, so we are unable to provide exact figures for the number of responses which mention specific areas or themes at this time. The initial findings are that around 80 responses have mentioned Woore and around 30 responses have mentioned Aldersey’s Rough.

Holidays: Repayments

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage (1) banks, and (2) the holiday and travel sector, to pay refunds to customers whose holidays were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government recognises that businesses have legal obligations to ensure consumers are fairly compensated when cancellations occur. We have put in place a wide range of financial support to help businesses manage cashflow to enable timely refunds to consumers. Most are trying to arrange refunds due to Covid-19, where appropriate. However, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has created a Covid-19 taskforce to allow reporting and to take appropriate enforcement action, if there is evidence that any business is behaving unfairly during the pandemic.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Walney: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what plans they have to ensure research is conducted into the efficacy of each COVID-19 vaccine for those with blood cancer, and (2) what the timeline will be for any such research.

Lord Callanan: I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to my Hon. Friend the Member for Crawley by my Hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Science, Research and Innovation on 26 February 2021 to Question 152472.

Domestic Premises (Energy Performance) Bill (HL)

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Callanan on 10 February (HL12638), what assessment they have made of clauses 2(1) and 2(2) of theDomestic Premises (Energy Performance) Bill [HL].

Lord Callanan: The Government believes supporting the Private Members Bill in question generally would reduce flexibility in the way we approach greenhouse gas emission savings and could potentially mean that more cost-effective approaches receive less attention or support. In addition, Government is committed to supporting low income and vulnerable households by meeting our statutory fuel poverty target, to improve as many fuel poor homes as is reasonably practicable to a minimum energy efficiency rating of Band C by 2030. The Government has recently published a strategy, Sustainable Warmth – supporting vulnerable households in England, which sets out our plans to support fuel poor households in detail.

Fracking

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will issue new exploration licences for the potential extraction of gas by fracking, and what advice they provide to the holders of existing exploration licences.

Lord Callanan: The Oil and Gas Authority operates the licensing regime that gives companies exclusive rights to search, bore for and get petroleum and it stewards existing onshore exploration licences to ensure they fulfil agreed work commitments. The Government’s position on hydraulic fracturing is set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 4 November 2019 [HLWS68]. As set out in the Statement, the shale gas industry should take the Government’s position into account when considering new developments.

Fracking

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent assessment of (1) the contribution that the Bowland Shale Formation can make to meeting the energy requirements of the UK, and (2) the proportion of such requirements during the next 10 years that will be met by shale gas fracking.

Lord Callanan: BEIS and Ofgem’s joint annual Statutory Security of Supply Report provides an assessment of the current availability of secure, affordable electricity, gas and oil for meeting the needs of consumers. The latest report, published on 18 December 2020, does not use hydraulically fractured shale gas in any of its security of supply assessments. Please see attached.In October 2017, BEIS published a report summarising gas security over the next 20 years, including consideration of the role of shale gas in general. Please see attached. Statutory security of supply report  (pdf, 839.8KB)Gas security of supply assessment (pdf, 363.3KB)Gas security of supply review (pdf, 2063.1KB)

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord Callanan on 15 February (HL12862) and 23 February (HL13155), what is the average time for individual payments for each of the final two stages of delivery of Green Homes Grant funds; and what is the longest time it has taken to complete individual payments for each stage.

Lord Callanan: The scheme administrator is prioritising the payment of the vouchers and we are continuing to see an increase in the number of vouchers being paid out to installers once work is complete.

Transport: Exhaust Emissions

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have to implement the recommendation set out in the report by the Climate Change CommitteeThe Sixth Carbon Budget: The UK’s path to Net Zero, published in December 2020, to include emissions from international aviation and shipping in their Sixth Carbon Budget.

Lord Callanan: The UK plays a leading role in the development of measures driving emissions reduction in the international aviation and shipping sectors at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) while UK aviation and shipping emissions are covered by our domestic legislation. We are considering all of the CCC’s recommendations, including on International Aviation and Shipping, carefully ahead of setting the sixth carbon budget.

Environment Protection: Employment

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Friends of the Earth An Emergency Plan on Green Jobs for Young People, publishedon 1 March.

Lord Callanan: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan will support up to 90,000 highly-skilled green jobs across the UK within this Parliament, and up to 250,000 by 2030. In order to ensure we have the skilled workforce to deliver net zero and our Ten Point Plan, we have launched the Green Jobs Taskforce, working in partnership with business, skills providers, and unions, to help us develop plans for new long-term good quality, green jobs and advise what support is needed for people in transitioning industries. The Government is investing £2 billion in the Kickstart Scheme, which will create paid, quality 6-month work placements for hundreds of thousands of young people aged 16-24 on Universal Credit. The Kickstart Scheme is aimed specifically at young people deemed to be at risk of long-term unemployment. The Scheme provides the opportunity for young people to develop their employability and experience as well as providing a potential route into longer-term employment.

Department for Education

GCE A-level and GCSE: Assessments

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what contingency planning they undertook between August 2020 and January 2021 to prepare for the possibility that A-Level and GCSE examinations might be cancelled in 2021.

Baroness Berridge: It was right that the department planned for exams to go ahead because they are the fairest method of assessing what students know and can do. Despite education remaining a national priority, the department remained conscious that the course of the virus and the subsequent extent of necessary public health restrictions would be unknown. We therefore worked closely with Ofqual and the exam boards to plan for a range of scenarios between August 2020 and January 2021. This allowed the department to launch the joint Department for Education and Ofqual consultation on alternative arrangements to exams on 15 January, soon after my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State’s statement to the house on 6 January that, given the further disruption to education, exams could not go ahead as planned.The department has now confirmed further details on alternative arrangements to exams, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2021/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2021.

Open University

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to permit the Open University to offer initial teacher training courses.

Baroness Berridge: To deliver Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status, the Open University must become an accredited ITT provider. The process to become an accredited ITT provider is cyclical. When the next cycle opens, the Open University, and any other interested organisation, is welcome to explore the potential of becoming an accredited ITT provider. Any organisation who is interested in offering Initial Teacher Training should register their interest with the Department at the ITT.accreditation@education.gov.uk mailbox to be kept informed of future opportunities to apply.

Teachers: Training

Baroness Donaghy: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will ensure (1) the financial sustainability of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) providers, and (2) their ability to engage in long-term planning will not be jeopardised by the outcome of the ITT market review.

Baroness Berridge: The review into initial teacher training (ITT) is focusing on how the ITT sector can provide consistently high-quality training, in line with the Core Content Framework, in a more efficient and effective market.An expert advisory group is working with the department with the aim of making well informed, evidenced-based recommendations on how to make sure that all trainees receive high-quality evidence-based training, the ITT market maintains the capacity to deliver enough trainees and is accessible to candidates and that the ITT system benefits all schools.We committed to engaging with the sector in late spring 2021 and we are currently considering a range of engagement opportunities. We will make these opportunities available via the usual means and we expect to report on the review in summer 2021. The government will then consider the Chair’s recommendations and advise the sector accordingly at that stage.

UN Convention On the Rights of the Child

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish their response to the List of Issues for the combined 6th and 7th reports under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Baroness Berridge: This government is fully committed to protecting and promoting children’s rights. In 2020 we held a parliamentary reception to celebrate 30 years of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which was ratified in 1991 by the government. We regularly report to the UN Committee on the work we have been doing across the UK to implement the UNCRC and promote children’s rights.We intend to submit our combined sixth and seventh report to the UN Committee in accordance with the timelines prescribed by the Committee, in February 2022.

Home Education

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on theirconsultation on elective home education.

Baroness Berridge: Parents have a right to educate their children at home, and the government wants the many parents who do it well to be supported. Most parents who take up the weighty responsibility of home education do a very good job, and many children benefit from being educated at home.However, others are deemed to be ‘home educated’ but, in reality, such education provided is inappropriate, ineffective or through unsuitable settings (such as unregistered independent schools).In the spring of 2019, a consultation was held on proposals for: a mandatory register of children not attending state or registered independent schools to help local authorities carry out their responsibilities in relation to children not in school, a duty on parents to register their child with the local authority if not registered at specified types of schools; a duty on proprietors of certain education settings to respond to enquiries from local authorities; and a duty on local authorities to provide support to parents who educate children at home.The consultation closed on 24 June 2019 with nearly 5000 responses. Responses to the consultation have been considered and the government are committed to publishing the response in due course.

Institute of Teaching: Degrees

Baroness Donaghy: To ask Her Majesty's Government what process will be followed in (1) granting the Institute for Teaching degree awarding powers, and (2) enabling the Institute for Teaching to validate academic awards delivered by other bodies.

Baroness Berridge: The Institute of Teaching will register as a higher education provider with the Office for Students (OfS) at the earliest opportunity, so it can apply for degree awarding powers. The Institute will be required to follow the process for acquiring degree awarding powers, which is managed by the OfS.Once probationary degree awarding powers have been acquired, the Institute will be able to independently award its own Postgraduate Certificates in Education (PGCEs). In due course, the Institute will also be able to validate the PGCEs of other providers, once it has successfully gained full degree awarding powers.More information will be provided by the department within the tender documentation for this procurement once it is launched.

Teachers: Training

Baroness Donaghy: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the completion of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) market review, to confirm whether ITT providers will continue to be able to equip student teachers to (1) critique, (2) question, and (3) contextualise evidence and research relating to children's education and learning.

Baroness Berridge: The Initial Teacher Training (ITT) market review is still in progress and we do not yet know what the review will recommend. The review’s focus is to ensure that all ITT trainees have access to high quality training and support across their training year. The government will consider the Chair’s recommendations once these are finalised and advise the ITT sector accordingly at that stage.

Ministry of Justice

Derelict Land: Prosecutions

Baroness Pinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that remedies ordered by courts following prosecutions under section 216 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 are complied with.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The maximum penalty under section 216 of The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 is a fine. The Government takes the recovery and enforcement of all financial impositions very seriously and remains committed to ensuring impositions are paid. The courts will do everything within their powers to trace those who do not pay and use a variety of means to ensure the recovery of criminal fines and financial penalties. This includes deducting money from an individual offender’s earnings or benefits if they are unemployed or issuing warrants instructing approved enforcement agents to seize and sell goods belonging to the offender. Enforcement actions that can be taken against an offender who is a company include a warrant to seize and sell goods, and an application for the administration or winding up of the company.The Government has committed in its Planning White Paper to review and strengthen existing planning enforcement powers and sanctions available to authorities, including higher fines where appropriate.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Palestinians: Refugees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees in poverty in Syria.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is a longstanding supporter of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). We recognise UNRWA's unique mandate from the UN General Assembly (UNGA), to protect and provide protection and core services to Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The UK provided £51m to UNRWA in 2020. This includes £6m to the Regional Syria Emergency Appeal. Our support will help provide life-saving assistance for the 438,000 Palestinian refugees in Syria, 95% of whom need sustained humanitarian assistance

Iran: Education

Lord Pickles: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what criteria informed the decision to direct £16 million of UK aid to improving educational links with Iran between 2013 and 2017, (2) what projects the grants were used on, (3) how the projects were monitored, and (4) what plans they have to publish the results of such monitoring.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Between 2013 and 2017, the total FCO bilateral spending on Iran was approximately £4.4 million. These funds were spent on developing long-term people-to-people educational and cultural links between our two countries, including supporting English teachers, artists and Chevening scholars. Chevening supports exceptional young people all over the world to reach their potential, and remains open for applicants in Iran. Given these projects were run by a combination of British Council, Chevening and the FCO, these programmes were monitored and evaluated in line with standard FCO and British Council processes. The British Council do not currently operate or fund programmes in Iran.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they are reducing the amount of humanitarian aid provided to Yemen.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is facing the worst economic contraction in over 300 years, and a budget deficit of close to £400 billion. As announced last year, given the impact of this global pandemic on the economy and, as a result, the public finances, we will move to a target of spending 0.5% of Gross National Income as Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2021.On 1 March, the Minister of State for Middle East and North Africa announced that the UK will provide at least £87 million to Yemen over the course of our next financial year (2021/22), with the UK contributing over £1 billion since the conflict began. Our funding will feed an additional 240,000 of the most vulnerable Yemenis every month, support 400 healthcare clinics and provide clean water for 1.6 million people. We will also provide one-off cash support to 1.5 million of Yemen's poorest households to help them buy food and basic supplies.

Poverty: Diseases

Baroness Suttie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the public health impact and (2) the role of UK funding in Product Development Partnerships over the last ten years in tackling poverty-associated diseases such as Tuberculosis.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: UK Government funding by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to Product Development Partnerships has contributed to 66 new health technologies, including diagnostics, drugs and vaccines being available for diseases and health threats that are underserved by commercial markets. These products have reached over 2.4 billion people around the world. This includes the game changing GenXpert technology to detect TB in 4 hours compared to several weeks previously. The technology was subsequently progressed to diagnose Ebola and COVID-19. This technology was developed with our core support by the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics and their partners. Since 2005, we are also one of the major donors to the TB Alliance, which has developed new treatments for TB, including the first child-friendly drug regimen and novel treatments for multi-drug resistant TB, such as Pretomanid, which, in combination with 2 other drugs, offers a highly effective, shorter and less toxic treatment option.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is a leading supporter of Product Development Partnerships, which bring together partners from the public, private and philanthropic sectors to develop new products in a way that de-links the cost of development from the final cost of product.

South Sudan: Infant Mortality

The Lord Bishop of Salisbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of efforts to reduce maternal and under-five mortality rates in South Sudan; and what plans they have, if any, to reduce the level of fundingprovisionto the South Sudan Health Pooled Fund.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK-led Health Pooled Fund is supporting activities in South Sudan that are recognised globally as important contributors to reducing maternal and under five mortality rates. As announced last year, the impact of the global pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to take the tough but necessary decision to temporarily reduce how much we spend on Official Development Assistance. The FCDO is reviewing all individual country allocations as part of the Country Business Planning process, including specific implications for all spend in South Sudan and therefore the Health Pooled Fund. These will be communicated to Parliament in due course.

South Sudan: Peace Negotiations

The Lord Bishop of Salisbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the progress of the peace process in South Sudan, and (2) the contribution made bythe South Sudan Council of Churches’ Action Plan for Peace to that process.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The full and inclusive implementation of the 2018 Peace Agreement is a priority for the UK as the best chance for a more stable and prosperous future for the people of South Sudan. We welcome recent progress, including commitment to proceed with transitional justice mechanisms and the formation of regional governance structures. Overall implementation is however slow, with continued delays to tasks such as the unification of armed forces and the appointment of a transitional national legislature contributing to increased levels of violence and a worsening humanitarian situation. Civil Society and faith organisations have an important role in supporting progress on the peace process. This includes work by the South Sudan Council of Churches' under their Action Plan for Peace, which has promoted advocacy, peace and reconciliation, and provided a neutral forum to support dialogue between communities at a national and local level.

Palestinians: Refugees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to work with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees to support (1) distance learning for refugee children, and (2) families in economic hardship in Lebanon.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: In 2020, the UK provided £51 million in funding to UNRWA to support its unique role providing protection and core services to Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.In response to the pandemic, UNRWA has strengthened remote learning, which includes a virtual learning environment, television broadcasts and websites for accessing links to learning materials.

Somalia: Politics and Government

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the postponement of presidential elections in Somalia, what assessment they have made of the (1) political, and (2) security, situation in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Somalia is at a important stage in agreeing an electoral process, which will have broader implications for its political and security development. It is vital that talks resume and leaders come to an agreement on the implementation of an inclusive electoral process, to proceed as soon as possible. The UK, with its international partners, raised concerns over the violence around demonstrations in Mogadishu on 19 February, and called on all parties to maintain calm and exercise restraint to allow political dialogue to advance. We urge Somalia's leaders to reach agreement on the elections, in the interests of the people of Somalia and in order to cement progress towards long-term security and stability.

Ministry of Defence

Military Exercises

Earl Attlee: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the WrittenAnswer by Baroness Goldie on 4 March (HL13345), on which occasions in the last 20 years the British Army has deployed a largely fully formed and supported brigade for manoeuvre and deployment training; and when they expect that a similar scale of exercise will be conducted in order (1) to test the UK's ability and identify any weaknesses, (2) to reassure allies, and (3) to deter potential opponents.

Baroness Goldie: The British Army has regularly conducted collective training at Brigade level over the years and has plans to do so in the future. Over the course of Operations HERRICK (2002 - 2014) and TELIC (2003 - 2011) the British Army continuously trained and prepared a series of Brigade level deployments, including full Mission Rehearsal Exercises on an enduring 6 monthly rotational basis. Other significant Brigade level training in the past includes Exercises SAIF SAREEA 2 in 2002 and SAIF SAREEA 3 in 2018. The Army's Collective Training Group delivers a comprehensive programme of Mission Ready and Combat Ready Training to the Field Army. All training delivered at Battle Group level and above is delivered in a Brigade context as a minimum. Whilst this training methodology may not involve deploying the entire Brigade into the field at the same time, it does ensure that the skill sets involved in deploying a Brigade are practised regularly. Furthermore, use of simulation ensures that this type of training can be conducted efficiently whilst maximising the impact and utility of the training. In addition to this continuous series of events delivered in a Brigade and Divisional context, there are also a series of planned exercises that focus on Brigade level and above training. Examples of these include the 16 Air Assault Brigade deploying of Ex SWIFT RESPONSE 22 in 2022 and the deployment of elements on Ex CERBERUS 22. Furthermore, the British Army regularly participates in the DEFENDER series, a US led multinational exercise in Europe, at the Brigade level.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Flood Insurance in Doncaster Independent Review

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in response to the report by Amanda Blanc Independent Review of Flood Insurance in Doncaster, published on 14 April 2020, which found that flood risk insurance is not available to households that need it most.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Independent Review of Flood Insurance in Doncaster was published on 5 November 2020. The report examined the level of insurance cover held by those affected in Doncaster, the barriers they may have faced in obtaining cover and whether there are any systemic issues in the provision of flood insurance. The report identifies that 95% of homeowners were able to confirm that they had both buildings and contents insurance that covered flood risk. This compares with 94% of households at risk of flooding in Defra’s national looking at the availability and affordability of flood insurance. This shows the sustained availability of home insurance for homeowners, especially in this area of high flood risk. The report signals that around 7% of insurance policies held by Doncaster homeowners did not cover floods and 45% of tenants said they did not have contents insurance. The reviewer made 12 recommendations addressing the accessibility and affordability of flood insurance, which government is considering and will respond in due course. Research has found that since the launch of the joint government and industry initiative Flood Re in 2016, availability of flood insurance has increased. Around 96% customers with prior flood claims can now get five or more quotes from insurers ad four out of five householders with a prior flood claim saw price reductions of over 50%. More than 300,000 properties have benefitted since the Scheme’s launch.

Fly-tipping

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the application process for licences from the Environment Agency to collect and transport waste in order to prevent illegal fly-tipping.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Fly-tipping is a crime which blights local communities and the environment, and the Government is committed to tackling this unacceptable behaviour. The Government is committed to improving the carrier, broker and dealer (CBD) regime in England and we plan to consult later this year. We want to enhance the background checks needed to operate as a waste carrier, broker or dealer and introduce an element of technical competence as a requirement. We also plan to make it easier for regulators to enforce against non-compliant operators and to make it harder for un-registered operators to find work in the sector. We are working with industry and the regulator as we develop our consultation. We also intend to consult on the introduction of mandatory electronic waste tracking. This will reduce the ability of waste criminals to hide evidence of the systematic mishandling of waste and make it easier for enforcement authorities to identify material dropping out of the system, and therefore make it easier to protect against fly-tipping. Together these measures will ensure all businesses will be made more accountable for the waste they handle, help to ensure that waste is dealt with appropriately and therefore help to reduce the incidence of waste crime and fly-tipping.

Rural Areas

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to encourage tourism in rural areas, and (2) to revitalise local rural economies.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Prime Minister set out in the Reopening Roadmap published on 22 February the Government's intention to publish a Tourism Recovery Plan in Spring. We are working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to ensure tourism in rural areas is embraced and rural organisations are consulted. We work closely with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that plans to revitalise local economies take into account the needs of rural economies. The UK Levelling Up Fund prospectus sets out how the Fund will help invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets. The UK Community Renewal Fund will support innovative responses to local challenges and local needs in urban, rural and coastal areas across the UK, to help local areas prepare for the introduction of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund from 2022.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what methodology they intend to use to analyse responses to the consultation by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs The regulation of genetic technologies which opened on 7 January; and whatsteps they are taking toensure thatresponses received using non-technical language are taken into account and understood.

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment was made of the content of theGene editing explainer,published in January, prior to its publication as a supporting document for the consultation by the Department for Environment Food and Rural AffairsThe regulation of genetic technologieswhich opened on 7 January.

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussionsthey have had with (1) the Scottish, and (2) the Welsh, Government about the impact of any changes to the regulation of genetic engineering in food and farming in England on the maintenance of existing regulations relating to genetic modification inthose countries; and what assessment they have made of any such change on(1) frictionless trade with Northern Ireland, and (2) the functioning of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the compatibility of any changes to the regulation of genetic engineering in food and farming in England with theUK–EUTrade and Cooperation Agreement.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: All consultation responses will be taken into account and analysed regardless of type. Free text responses will be analysed using well-established methodology from social sciences for the analysis of qualitative data, in line with standard practice for the analysis of public consultations. All views are being considered, whether or not they use technical language, and no weighting will be applied to more technical responses. Prior to its publication, the Gene editing (GE) explainer document was reviewed by Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser and Defra’s communications team. This ensured that the information was scientifically accurate and pitched so that a lay person could understand it. We are gathering views and evidence on trade as part of the our consultation process. We will continue to monitor and respond to the approach taken in the EU to the regulation of GMOs. Defra officials have regular ongoing discussions with Scottish and Welsh Government counterparts about the regulation of genetically modified organisms. These discussions are considering the impact of any potential changes to the regulation of genetic engineering in food and farming in England. Owing to the application of Union law to Northern Ireland by virtue of the Northern Ireland Protocol, GE organisms will in Northern Ireland continue to be considered as GMOs and regulated as such.

Office for Environmental Protection

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Interim Office of Environmental Protection will be able to receive complaints and issue provisional decisions in advance of its statutory empowerment.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Interim Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) will be able to receive complaints from members of the public about failures of public authorities to comply with environmental law, as the Interim Environmental Governance Secretariat has been doing since 1 January 2021. The Interim OEP will check the complaints it receives to determine if they will fall within the remit of possible investigation by the OEP once it is established as a legal body. This will involve, for example, establishing whether a complaint concerns compliance with environmental law by a public authority. On the basis of this assessment the Interim OEP will make and issue provisional decisions on this question of whether complaints will fall within the OEP’s statutory remit, informing complainants and the relevant public authorities. The Interim OEP will not be able to take any formal decisions or enforcement action pending the necessary legislative provisions taking effect. However, as part of its work before it has statutory powers, the Interim OEP may enter into dialogue with specific authorities about complaints against them. It will be for the Interim OEP, once its Board has been appointed and assembled, to determine how to approach this.

Pets

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the law relating to keeping dangerous animals as pets.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Anyone wishing to keep a dangerous wild animal as a pet requires a licence from their local authority under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. A local authority must only grant a licence if is satisfied that it would not be contrary to the public interest on the grounds of safety or nuisance; that the applicant is a suitable person; and the animal's accommodation is adequate and secure. The Act was updated in 2007, following review and consultation. The Act was updated again in 2010 to allow local authorities to focus their enforcement activity more effectively. The Act’s original aim was to ensure that where private individuals keep dangerous wild animals they do so in circumstances which create no risk to the public. Based on available evidence, including the absence of reported attacks on the public by escaped dangerous wild animals, we consider that the Act is fulfilling those objectives. Separately, any evidence that the welfare needs of kept dangerous wild animals are not being met would be a matter for the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and its associated obligations and requirements, which we keep under constant review.

Dogs: Smuggling

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Dogs Trust Puppy Smuggling, published on 4 December 2020; and what steps they are taking to address the illegal trade in puppies.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Defra takes the abhorrent trade in puppy smuggling seriously. We operate a rigorous pet-checking regime, and the Animal and Plant Health Agency works collaboratively with other agencies and bodies to share intelligence, disrupt illegal imports and seize non-compliant animals. The end of the transition period has created new opportunities for cracking down on puppy smuggling, and in line with our manifesto commitment the Government is considering a range of options. These options will take into consideration the results from our latest disease risk assessments for GB, the recommendations of stakeholders such as the British Veterinary Association and Dogs Trust, and recent Parliamentary work from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.

Home Office

Asylum

Lord Green of Deddington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many asylum claims in (1) January, (2) February, and (3) to date in March, 2021, have been treated as inadmissible on the basis that the claimant was judged to have travelled through or have a connection to a safe third country; and which those countries were.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office publishes data on asylum applications in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of asylum applications are published in Table Asy_D01 and data on the number and type of asylum initial decisions are published in table Asy_D02 of the Asylum and Resettlement datasets.Figures on the number of asylum application decisions made in the first quarter of 2021 are due to be published on 27 May 2021. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’. We are working to bring inadmissibility decisions in line with current reporting and hope to publish that information in the same timeframe.We are reviewing the cases of those who claimed asylum before 1 January and their suitability for decision-making under the new rules. If it is appropriate for any claimants to receive decisions under the new provisions, they will be informed of that, in line with the Home Office published policy guidance.The Home Office current published guidance is clear that we will serve an inadmissibility decision only when an individual’s return is agreed by a third country. The Home Office continues to work closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development to secure agreements to enable returns to be made. Any case where return is not agreed within 6 months from the date of claim will be admitted to the asylum process and will have their asylum claim substantively considered in the UK.Information on the Home Office inadmissibility rules can be found on gov.uk under ‘Inadmissibility: third country cases’.Inadmissibility - Third Country Cases (pdf, 274.3KB)

Police: Per Capita Costs

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the difference in funding per head for police services in (1) urban, and (2) rural, areas; and what steps they are taking to reduce any such difference.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: On the 4th February 2021, the Government published a total police funding settlement of up to £15.8 billion in 2021/22, an increase of up to £636 million compared to 2020/21. This continued investment shows the Government is committed to supporting the entire policing sector.The police funding formula remains the most reliable mechanism we have to distribute core grant funding although this Government is alive to the concerns many in the policing sector hold over the current formula and we acknowledge that the current arrangements are out of date. Careful consideration will be given during the upcoming Spending Review and as part of our longer-term vision for policing.

National Security: Cross Border Cooperation

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve security co-operation with the EU.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The safety and security of our citizens is the Government’s top priority.The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement delivers a comprehensive package of capabilities which ensures we can work with counterparts across Europe to tackle serious crime and terrorism – protecting the public and bringing criminals to justice.We also have excellent bilateral cooperation with Member States across the EU on a wide range of law enforcement and criminal justice issues and we will continue to consider ways to strengthen these bilateral relationships.More widely, we continue to enhance our support to - and work closely with - international organisations such as Interpol to improve and develop law enforcement technology and tools that have a global reach.The UK will continue to be a global leader on security and one of the safest countries in the world.

Slavery

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to strengthen the National Referral Mechanism for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery; and if so, how.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We have introduced a series of reforms to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) since 2017 to improve the identification and support of potential victims of modern slavery.To achieve quicker and more certain decision-making a new Single Competent Authority (SCA) was launched in April 2019 to handle all NRM cases and provide high quality, timely decisions for victims. Independent Multi-Agency Assurance Panels were also set up to review all negative conclusive grounds decisions on cases referred directly to the SCA, adding an additional level of scrutiny to such cases.A new digital referral system was also launched in 2019 to support the NRM process, making it easier for those on the front line to refer victims into support by providing a single point for referrals across the UK.In July 2020, the Home Office produced an e-learning module to help First Responders identify potential victims of modern slavery and make referrals into the NRM when appropriate to do so. We are committed to working with First Responder Organisations to ensure they have the right training and tools to identify potential victims.Building on the successes of this work, we are now taking a fresh look at the system to ensure it delivers on its objectives through the NRM Transformation Programme. This Programme will introduce a series of changes to ensure victims have their cases settled promptly, receive support tailored to their recovery needs from the outset, and are empowered to move on with their lives. We also intend to streamline the decision-making process through operational improvements so that victims are identified at the earliest stage and receive the right kind of support at the right time, ensuring decisions taken are robust, effective and meaningful.Additionally, we are seeking to test an alternative decision-making model for children, to empower local authorities with responsibility for children’s social care to make decisions about whether children are victims of modern slavery in conjunction with local safeguarding partners.

Home Office: Equality

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many equality impact assessments undertaken in the Home Office since January 2019 identified the possibility of indirect discrimination on the basis of any of the protected characteristics defined by law; and in relation to any such assessments, on how many occasions they (1) altered the policy proposal, (2) decided not to proceed with the policy proposal, or (3) continued the policy proposal without amendment.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Cabinet Office

Lex Greensill

Lord Macpherson of Earl's Court: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any meeting took place between the then Cabinet Secretary and Lex Greensill on 7 November 2017; and if so, what record exists of that meeting.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The then Cabinet Secretary and Lex Greensill met on 7 November 2017, as detailed in the relevant transparency return. The Cabinet Office does not hold a written record of the meeting.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Baroness Benjamin: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what evidence they based their decision to open non-essential retail, hairdressers, and beauty parloursno sooner than 12 April but notopen museums, galleries and heritage buildings until 17 May at the earliest; and what plans they have to publish the data which supported that decision.

Baroness Benjamin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what comparative analysis they undertook of the risk of COVID-19 infection posed by (1) museums, galleries and heritage buildings, and (2) non-essential retail, hairdressers, and beauty parlours.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The design of the roadmap has been informed by the latest scientific evidence and seeks a balance between our key social and economic priorities, whilst preserving the health and safety of the country. The scientific evidence shows that opening too early or too quickly risks a further lockdown.The Chancellor announced in the 2021 Budget an additional £300 million to support theatres, museums and other cultural organisations in England through the Culture Recovery Fund. The Chancellor also set out that we will provide £90 million funding to support our government-sponsored national museums in England due to the financial impact of Covid-19.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Primary Education: Finance

Lord Smith of Finsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guarantees they have established, if any, that primary schools in receipt of Space for Sports and the Arts funding since 2003 will have the full duration of the funding honoured.

Baroness Barran: Space for Sport & Arts was a funding programme that ran for four years, from 2001 to 2005. Sport England managed the programme, including grant management and awards of funding. Under the Terms & Conditions of awards, any disposal or change of use of a funded facility at a school requires Sport England consent during the term of the grant (21 years from the date of award acceptance).

Small Businesses: Cybercrime

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threat to small businesses from cyber-attacks; and what steps they are taking to support small business to improve their cyber defences.

Baroness Barran: The government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2020 found almost half (46%) of micro and small businesses reported cyber security breaches or attacks in the past 12 months. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) 2020 Annual Review identified an increase in ransomware and phishing attacks over the past year.The National Cyber Security Strategy sets out the government’s work to protect the UK online and help ensure all organisations, large and small, are effectively managing their cyber risk. The NCSC, working closely with trade bodies, local initiatives, banks and industry partners, provides a range of actionable guidance, training and easy to implement tools to help small businesses improve their cyber security. Last month, the NCSC launched a state-of-the-art tool which creates a personalised ‘Cyber Action Plan’ for small businesses as part of the cross-government Cyber Aware campaign.DCMS is carrying out a review of business resilience and cyber security to identify what more can be done to build cyber resilience across the economy and increase security in supply chains.